The spring edition of the Brewery Art Walk was in full swing this weekend, drawing art lovers, fellow artists, and families with skipping children through a myriad of cool gallery exhibits and open studios. The always-happening Jesus Wall space included magical abstracts from Kristine Augustyn; Cathy Immordino’s lush digitally manipulated photographs – and pendants to make any necklace a work of art; and Nicholas Bonamy’s surreal takes on LA landscapes; along with artistic lamps, and Henry Chavez’ bracelets made from Hot Wheels. A large crowd flowed congenially in and out, bringing beer from the art walk’s beer garden three floors below.
In the courtyard area, at Shoebox Gallery, Dani Dodge’s tribute to the Joshua Tree in My Ugly/Beautiful Friends, a beautiful collection of gold-leaf-edged painted and photographic works, “Symbiosis 1-12”; and her dimensional, deconstructed sculptural works based on the plant’s leaves, “Wielding Swords” filled the main gallery. Little kids and adults alike had to restrain themselves from touching these highly tactile works. In the Closet space, Terry Arena’s delicate “Indicator Species” was also nature-based, relating to the loss of bees in the environment, with linked patterns based on binary code. There, all could indulge their desire to touch and feel, stepping inside and handling the cool linked metal strands.
In the studio space: the gorgeous, detailed graphite and charcoal branches and plants of Catherine Ruane, and Steve Seleska’s “Dystopian Vessels,” which contained their own succulents. Upstairs, from fabulous sequined pillows to exquisite miniature “Tiny Revolutions” ink works, Debby and Larry Kline make an unbeatable team; kids and adults posed with pillows and made for their collection of Swedish Fish and Twizzlers, too. Across the landing, the intricate detail of Oscar Moreno’s large scale wood panel works dazzled.
Meghan Marsala served guests champagne as they took in her literally plant and flower-based living art works in a lush new green space nearby.
Bill and Winnie Brewer shared their gallery space with Glen Waggner and Kate Carvellas. Waggner’s evocative miniature painted landscapes and surreal people and Carvellas’ found-object-based, brilliantly colored dimensional wall art made a great pairing with the rich desert photographic art of Bill Leigh Brewer and the lovely nature-based paintings from Winnie Brewer.
Crowds also swarmed the patterned abstracts of Teale Hatheway’s studio; Emily Elisa Halperns large-scale abstracts; the floral images of Anna Stump and vibrant, often whimsical work of Ted Meyer, and Skyler Bolton’s exquisite vivid blue new pottery works. Fascinating photographic works tracing family history from Jane Szabo; haunting figurative work from Alex Kritselis, contemporary figurative paintings from Jorin Bossen in a pastel palette, and vivid florals from Todd Westover, all added to a festive spring-is-breaking-out-all-over vibe.
In the evening, flowers were also present in a jam-packed mixed-media show at Launch Gallery from Leigh Salgado, where “spring mix” pink cocktails were served; at Denk Gallery, attendees nibbled on vegan spring rolls and Caprese skewers while taking in the awe-inspiring, often surrealist-tinged mixed-media works of Josephine Wister Faure, and the chromogenic prints of Augusta Wood.
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